orient colours of heauenly perfection as first his puritie is white both essentially is and especially to white Secondly his purity and zeale both Zeraphical and also Cherubical wholie passible wholy amiable euen in these words and ruddie which is a sweete and seemely cōmixture of white and red Then the choice aboue thousands and the chiefe of choice the chiefest of ten thousand In loue then you see he is matchlesse in purity spotlesse in zeale pricelesse in choice peerelesse Come hither then thou passionate louer and repent thee of thine inordinate and immoderate loue to alluring and deceiptfull beautie that vaine vermillion die mingled with white like bloud in snow both vanishing with the Suns beames with sicknes old age and many other casualties and whereof thou thy selfe art suspicious euen while thou dost enioy it and art inlie tormented lest an other should pertake with thee come hither I say and sit downe at these pure waters a while and let thy soule see and be rauished with the sight of celestiall beautie and grace shining vnto thee miserable and wretched man euen from heauen and yet thou neuer didst vouchsafe so much as once to cast thine eie vpon it No man I confesse can pourtray or delineate this loue vnto thee as it is in deede therfore I could wish that my soule had consulted with the Lord Iesus his Paranymph the beloued disciple who leaned vpō his sacred breast at supper and felt the breathes of blessed loue that breathed out of his tender bowels or had bene rapt vp with Paule into the third heauen to be lift vp aboue my selfe or had seene that glimpse of glory which Peter saw in mount Tabor or had conferred with him who died meditating on this loue and saying at his last gaspe Loue is as strong as death or had bene with Philip Melancthon who departed this life saying Egrediamur egrediamur or at least had heard sweete Bernard preach thereof or learned Theodar Beze both purposing to write their meditations thereon and to go through this song but both dying before they could finish it as being surprised as I conceiue with the singular loue of the Lord Iesus pourtrayed herein most mystically and diuinely But how shall I then dare to aduenture or take vpon me to open my mouth to set forth this loue seeing as S. Bernard saith None can vnderstād Paules meaning but they that are endued with Paules mind so none can conceiue the spouses affection but they that are touched with the like loue How shall wee either speake of the spouses tender affection or you heare accordingly seeing we are all carnall sold vnder sinne and these things are mystically and spiritually discerned This onely comforts me that God hath granted two meanes to know these sacred mysteries the one infused and extraordinarie onely proper and peculiar to the men of God in the former ages the other attained by studie and industrie ioyned with inuocation to God for illumination grace the onely sacred reliques of Iesus Christ left to his seruants in these last ages The Gospel being the foundation of all our sacred skill out of the which whosoeuer preacheth Christ crucified hath the mind of Christ. And hauing his mind we may with reuerend boldnesse auerre that we also know the true Churches meaning Hearken then to the Church here styling Christ her welbeloued for he is hers and shee is his first she by way of petition intreateth saying Shew me ô thou whom my soule loueth when thou feedest where thou liest at noone And then he by way of replication answereth My loue my doue mine vndefiled open vnto me for my head is full of dewe and my haire of the drops of the morning whereupon the Church doth in eight Chapters in this diuine song nine and twenty times style him her best beloued as if she could neuer too oft remember his vnspeakeable loue towards her his welbeloued Saint Paule also a sonne of this sacred mother hath in his Epistles fiue hundred times the name of his Lord Iesus as accōpting himselfe most happie when that most sacred name of loue and life sounded in his lips or was written with his pen. If therefore we of the last and worst generation be transported and out of our wits as you think being rauished with the surpassing loue of God it being shed in our hearts by the holy Ghost weare it to God or if we be modest and in our right mind we are it vnto you for the loue of Christ constraineth vs. S. Iohn the beloued disciple now being old writes of nothing else but of this loue as appeareth in his canonical Epistles chusing now to die and depart in beholding the surpassing beautie thereof insomuch that he summons all degrees children yong men and the aged to the view thereof as being indeed their heauen vpon earth For who so abideth in this loue dwelleth in God If we shall descend lower to other lights of the Church we shall also see that this was the earnest most certaine pledge that their soules had here euen to be swayed and transported with this diuine loue Euery thing is caried with his weight Loue is my weight saith S. Augustine by it am I caried whither soeuer I am trāsported S. Bernard admireth this loue that God being so great so greatly should loue vs wretched miscreants and that freely Cyprian aduiseth vs to preferre nothing before the loue of Christ forasmuch as he preferred nothing before our loue Eusebius Emiss epitomiseth our seruice thus Be not distracted with many circumstances for what God requireth of thee is in thee to wit the seruice of thy mouth by confession and the affection of thine heart in faithfulnes In thy heart then hath God set the soules city of refuge that whence the sin came the medicine might thence also issue How nigh then is this remedie How sweete is this counsell Of this doubtles spake Moses It is neare euen in thy mouth and in thine heart miserable therfore is our condition saith Ierome not to be with him without whom we cannot be Be with God we cannot otherwise while we are here then by affection What ô loue can be sufficiently said in thy praise saith Hugo de S. Victore seeing through thee God should humble himselfe to descend from heauen and man should be exalted from earth to heauen great is thy power that thus God should be abased and sinfull man so aduanced Thus haue the sacred sonnes of the true Churches generation expressed their affectionate rauishments in this diuine loue shewing that nothing can be more pious nothing is more precious And this heauenly affection also is not onely generall in the whole Church but also particularly in euery religious soule which applieth it soundly certainely and sweetly to it selfe and saith as the spouse here He is my beloued by way of appropriation whereby wee may discerne a twofold certainety of our
faith the one of the obiect as that there is a life euerlasting that Christ died for the sinnes of the world Both certaine by the promise of God Yet this is small comfort vnlesse the other certainety of the subiect also be assured vnto vs. To wit that this euerlasting life is prepared for me and that Christ died for my sinnes This indeed is the vndoubted worke of faith Dauid could saie Blessed is the man whose sins are forgiuen Yet this is but Christ in the whole cloth as we may say but Paule had learned to turne Dauids quorum into his owne ego and say whereof I am cheefe and so cut himselfe a garment therof to couer his owne wretchednes For he well knew that as many as were baptized into Christ had put on Christ. So you see he is fitted as a garment to weare and not to gaze vpon The reason of this certainty is this Because faith maketh that present which is absent Therfore by the Spirit of God faith is called The euidence of things not seene Neither is this certainety of hope but of knowledge For S. Iohn saith We know that when he shall appeare we also shall appeare in glorie And S. Paule testifieth that the Spirit assureth our spirits that we are the sons of God Doubtlesse therefore most restlesse and most vnquiet is the mind of that man which doubteth of Gods loue For what auaileth it thee be thy estate neuer so happie if it be miserable to thy selfe What comfort is it to a king to weare a crowne of gold albeit in great happinesse of estate if he be not perswaded of the enioyment therof What sound solace is it to any Christian to know that there is a life euerlasting yet knowes not whether he shall heare Come ye blessed or go ye cursed it being a very dictate of nature That no man is happy but he that so thinketh himselfe The felicity thereof consisting not in the happy expectation but in the present perswasion Thus then you see the appropriation of this loue how necessarie it is and not onely herein but in all other inducements of godlinesse S. Augustine recordeth that he was conuerted by reading that of S. Paule Rom. 13. Not in chambering and wantonnesse strife and enuying but put on the Lord Iesus So S. Augustine applied the Scripture to the particular reformation of his owne life And Alipius S. Augustines louing consort applied the beginning of the 14. Chapter to the Rom. to the end that S. Augustine might thereby recouer confirme him that wauered and staggered in the holy faith of Christ Iesus So the spouse here appropriateth Gods deere loue to her owne affections whereby we may learne That to a deuoted and truly religious soule Christ Iesus applied is the onely loue and life O heare a godly soule speake in her diuine phrases to Christ Iesus applying him to euery part to her mouth saying Let him kisse me with the kisses of his mouth that her words might be gracious and seasoned by the salt of the spirit of God 2. To her breasts My beloued is as a bundle of myrrhe vnto me he shall lie betweene my breasts that by alwaies meditating on him she might not be drawne aside to the by-paths of follie and vanity 3. To her affections Set me as a seale vpon thine heart that she might neuer be without his impression 4. To her actions And as a signet vpon thine arme that she might neuer be destitute of his directions The reason is For loue is as strong as death iealousie as cruel as the graue Much water cannot quench it neither can the floud drowne it whence ensueth a whole resignation Therfore I am my beloueds and he is mine Thus the true spouse Dauid likewise in the same case I am thine ô Lord hide not thy commandements from me Dauid was now neither for sinne nor for Sathan nor for the world nor for the flesh nor for his owne selfe but for the Lord totally by resignation fully by affection And verily how can it be otherwise but that a religious soule should thus wholy deuote it selfe to God in all sacred affection if it call to mind but these motiues following First what Ieremie saith how the Lord speaketh when he considered whereof the sonnes of men were made and weighed that they were but dust and therefore in his mercie to them he said it and not to the Angels that fell Shall they fall And not arise shall they turne away and not turne againe Here is rising from the gulfe of hell and returning from the bondage and captiuitie of the diuell assured vnto vs by promise in Gods preuenting mercie Secondly when we shall remember that God hath omitted all his other creatures of heauen and of earth and as it were neglected them and hath set his loue onely vpon vs yea the Angels that fel he hath reserued in chaines of darknesse for the iudgement of the great day and yet saued a remnant of the sonnes of men Thirdly when it shall call to mind that to all other creatures God hath giuen a direct motion to content themselues in their now being but to man a circular motion that we should onely seeke our felicitie in him in whom we had our beginning Fourthly that forasmuch as Gods grace is giuen vs for our guide in this dangerous world which ouercometh infallibly the world the diuell and the flesh holdeth the truth inseparably against all heresie and schisme and leadeth indeclinably into the Paradise of God we should with all deuoted thankfulnesse entertaine this holy blessednesse Fiftly seeing that we may by holy faith as in a christall mirror behold the whole holy and vndeuided Trinitie in this worke of louing sauing and sanctifiing grace we should as those that had newly receiued their eye sight after a long blindnesse be rauished with ioy and comfort For see God the father so loued vs that he gaue his onely begotten sonne c. that whosoeuer beleeueth in him should not perish but should haue euerlasting life God the sonne so loued vs that he would die for vs God the holy ghost so loued vs that he maketh request for vs with sighes vnutterable in our soules Who would not then gather hence diuine affections according to the measure of grace giuen vnto vs calling to mind the precept of Christ which is the summe of all Thou shalt loue the Lord thy God with all thine heart and with all thy soule and with all thy mind that is saith S. Augustine Loue him with all thy right reason with all thy earnest affection and with all thy strongest powers loue him with all thy vnderstanding with all thy will and with all thy memorie loue him wisely that thou be not deceiued by the diuell in an angell of light Loue him sweetly that thou be not allured by the wicked and bewitching world Loue him
liue in his feare Taste then and see how gracious the Lord Iesus is and how plentifull is his goodnesse which he hath layed vp for them that feare him and prepared for them that trust in him euen before the sonnes of men He being the perfection of Priesthood and prophecie of sacrifice and sacrament so that now who so setteth his heart vpon any thing but vpon the Lord Iesus is liable to the extreme curse of Gods desertion Set not then your hearts on beautie beloued it is but a forward blossome soone nipt nor on pleasure it is but a bitter pill lapt in sugar nor on your belly it is but the pantrie for the draft house nor on riches they are but guiles and baites to insnare vs which while they are in getting wearie vs while they are possessed befoole vs and when we lose them they crucifie vs. Set not your hearts on the fauour of Princes or Potentates for they are but the sonnes of men nor on ambition it is but a feather tossed with the wind nor on gay apparell it is but rags nor on goodly houses they are but so many bonefiers against the day of doome nor on any thing vnder the sunne but only like and loue them in and for the Lord Iesus sake as they are either remedies for sin or directions in ordine ad Deum for our vsefull necessities and furtherances to further our future happinesse But as for those who despite the spirit of grace and trample the blessed bloud of the new Testament vnder their feete as do all sycophantizing Papists schismatizing Puritans neutralizing Atheists satanizing scorners of all godlinesse truth and honestie I will euer pray against their wickednesse Psal. 69. Let their table be their snare their eies dimmed their habitation voide their backes bowed downe let them heape vp iniquitie vpon iniquitie and let their names be razed out of the booke of life Let them be vnto vs as paganish Ethnicks and Publicans as vncleane leapers put out of the campe of Israel as rotten members cut off from the bodie of the Church as dead branches broken off from the true vine as vncleane dogges put out of the holy Citie and as those of the Concision of whom we must beware Phil. 3. 2. Yea let all that is about them be hatefull vnto vs. Let the goods of such be as the cursed things of Iericho their houses as odious as a iakes their possessions as direfull as Acheldama their gaines as vile as the Pharisies Corban their name as branded and as infamous as was Ieroboams their posteritie as obscure as the vntimely fruite of a woman which neuer seeth the sunne If they be honourable and do not honor Christ ô Lord lay their honor in the dust If noble let them be accompted base vnlesse they be ennobled in Iesus Christ. If learned let their learning be a by-word and a fable among the vulgar that studie not to be students in Christs schoole If they be a whole nation let their portion be as the men of Ashdod 1. Sam. 5. If a king let him be made as Nebuchadnezzar that he may know the Almightie If a Courtier let him be despised in the sight of the king yea let all them be deliuered ouer that loue not the Lord Iesus but despise him vnto Sathan by excommunication that confession at least may be wrested from them as it was from Simon Magus and Elimas the Bariesu who craued aide of the Church which formerly they desperatly despised that if it be the will of the Lord they may be saued by repentance in this day of grace before that fatall and finall diuorce from the Lord of their soules and bodies be denounced before the curses of separation Depart from me of indignation ye cursed of dolor into fire of desperatiō into hell fire of confusion prepared for the deuil and his angels be in the last iudgement awarded against them for their contempt of the Lord Iesus Christ. But to them that seeke the Lord Iesus mella fluant illis and all the beatitudes of mount Gerazim let their eares neuer heare the horrors of the vale of the children of Hinnon but let Sions rayes shine vpon them all their life and let the Lord Iesus appeare vnto them in his second coming to saluation who loue him and looke for him from heauen and long for him from the bottome of their hearts crying come Lord Iesu. Let them heare ô Lord thy perfect blessings of association Come of benediction ye blessed of inheritance possesse of glory the kingdome of election prepared for you before the foundations of the world were layed And God perswade Iaphet to dwell in the tents of blessed Sem. Euen so ô Lord be it Amen My welbeloued is white and ruddie the chiefest of ten thousand Cant. 5. 10. YOu may iustly demand of me blessed and beloued in the Lord Iesus as the daughters or faithfull people of Ierusalem do here of the spouse in the Canticles concerning her beloued saying What is thy beloued more then other beloued what is thy beloued more then another louer that thou dost so charge vs because of late I denounced from this place before you not against you for I am perswaded better things of you my brethren and such as accompanie saluation Paule his fearefull curse of Anathema Maranatha to wit If any man loue not the Lord Iesus let him be accursed when the Lord shall come And my reply vnto you must be my text which the spouse here maketh to the like demand that is My beloued is white and ruddie the chiefest of ten thousand The words are few the matter manifold Out of Sion saith Dauid hath God appeared in perfect beautie for what higher and more heauenly perfection can be imagined or was euer hard of then Sions sacred rayes which giue bright splendor and most glorious lustre to the whole Christian world The rigor of the law frō Sinay is satisfied in the righteousnesse of the Gospell from mount Sion If any thē be affectionate let him come hither here is loue and if he haue grace here is his welbeloued also and this commencement and commerce of sweet loue will be the whetstone of true perfect and perpetuall loue If any be curious here is amiable beautie white and ruddie white answering the purenesse he would haue and ruddie corresponding the zealous hartines he would craue And further if he shall be curious and be elegans formarum spectator here is choice euen the chiefest of ten thousand For here he may behold the spouse first shewing her deere affection then her true loues description her affection she vttereth by appellation of vnfained loue welbeloued and also by application thus My welbeloued she then describes him generally as thus is white and ruddie the chiefest of ten thousand And then particularly in his parts as in the verses following of this Chapter In her generall description she sets him downe in
valiantly that thou be not danted with the diuellish proiects and practises of Gods enemies See the sparkes of this diuine and seraphical fire in Daniel who is stiled vir desideriorum a man neuer satisfied here but still desiring to be replenished with the full sight of God Behold them in Esay the Euangelicall Prophet whose soule desired God in the night season when his eies were bereft of the distractions of the day In Dauid also whose soule thirsted for the liuing Lord and in S. Paule who was straitted for want of this enioyment and cried Who shall deliuer me wretched man that I am from this body of death Doubtlesse these holy soules knew that this loue was all loue vnto them for euen in naturall loue Christ can be all things vnto thee whereas thy gold cannot be thy clothing thy siluer cannot be thy drinke thy bread cannot be thy light Christ alone is all this vnto thee If thou neede necessarie loue he is thy protector and bulwarke If thou wouldest be happy in loue with him is the fountaine of liuing life for euer These considerations and the like caused Gods children neuer to admit any thing neere their hearts contrary to this loue as is the affection inordinate to the creature but loued the creature onely for the Lords sake They euer remoued farre from their holy affections all carking care and ouer much toyling in the businesse and negociations of this world as being the deceitfull bane of this loue vsing indeed the world necessarily but so as if they vsed it not which caused their loue to be continuall not flashes of passion rather then true affection enduring for a moment but resembling the loue of the blessed Saints who see God and loue him for euermore Againe they knew that if we would be couetous and sell our loue none could buy it dearer for he will giue vs a kingdome for it if we would be liberall and giue it none more worthy of it for he is absolutely the soueraigne good But if we would haue our loue strained from vs by violence he also will vnsheath the sword of the Spirit and with the blade thereof deuide asunder the soule and spirit euen with this one stroke If any man loue not the Lord Iesus let him be accursed Anathema Maranatha Furthermore the faithfull soules will hence gather good degrees and steps of grace as first considering euen in nature that if one had lost an eye or were distracted of his wit or were condemned to execution how would we tender him that could and would heale our eye sight restore vs to our right minde and redeeme vs from the dreadfull horror of death But Christ hath illuminated vs with the light of grace that were in the power of darknesse and shadow of death hath giuen vs repentance vnto life and regeneration that were sold to sinne and Sathan and hath purchased for vs a pardon that were condemned to euerlasting torments was made poore that we might be enriched gaue himselfe for me saith Bernard that I might be giuen to my selfe yea we owe him now more for redeeming vs then for making vs. For in the creation he spake the word and it was done but in our redemption it cost him his dearest bloud In this life he hath promised That all things whatsoeuer shall worke together for the best to them that loue him and in the other life the eye hath not seene nor the eare heard nor the heart can conceiue what is his displaied glory in seeing him as he is seene and knowing him as he is knowne And to purchase this inheritance for vs see how vilely he esteemes himselfe being sold for thirtie pence and prizeth vs vs I say wretches at so high a rate as his owne most peerelesse and precious bloud O insensible indurate and intollerable vnthankfulnesse of the sonnes of Adam who do not totally resigne themselues and their affections to this loue But yet for all this behold I pray you and see whether Christ be the beloued of ourage and the Helena of our countrey as we would beare the world in hand he is and be you your selues witnesses in this case Do we diligently seeke him when we haue lost him by our preuarication as wee vse to do those whom our soule loueth and as did that much louing soule Mary Magdalen when she sought him at the fearefull sepulcher and abode there though a weake woman and would not be satisfied with looking but asked Iesus then risen supposing he had bene a gardiner If thou hast taken away my Lord tell me where thou hast put him that I may fetch him O happie soule that so sought that she found Are we often frequenters of his house and louers of the place where his honor dwelleth as Anna did who departed not from the Temple but serued God day and night with prayers and fasting Do we talke of him in our iourneying as did the disciples that trauelled to Emaus Do we willingly heare of him and in hearing lay vp the things in our hearts as did the blessed Virgin Do we restore and giue for his sake as Zacheus and Cornelius did Do we suffer reproch gladly for his glory and reioyce in it as the Apostles did Do we loue his commandements as Dauid did whose studie was in them day and night Do we decline from the loue of this world and as Iacob who wresting with the angell fell lame so we in the businesse with God preuaile but in the affaires of this world grow cold and remisse Do we honor them that serue God as the Galathians did that would haue pulled out their owne eyes had not the law of God and nature forbad them to do Paul their Preacher good O how farre different are the affections of our times If we looke the Lord Iesus among some gouernors they say he is not heere many of vs haue something else to do then to attend preaching If among some of the rude people they seldome or neuer thinke of him If among the giddie hearers with Peter they answer we know not the man If among the worldly rich with Demas they haue forsaken the loue of Christ and haue imbraced this present world If among the loud but leude professors they haue a shew of godlinesse but haue denied the power thereof If among the couerous there is linsey wolsey as farre as will make for their profit so farre and no longer they loue God nor any of his seruants If among the ahabaptistical zealous they say we are not iustified by workes and therefore wee will do none at all As if their faith or any faith were auaileable with God but that which worketh by loue For without loue was neuer any man saued and with loue neuer any damned If of the worldlings they are so busie in deuiding Christ his coate that they cannot awhile to loue They are of king Roâ—us mind that vsed to say That the
bread of Christ was sweete meaning thereby the reuenues of the Church Not vnlike the refined and quaint illuminates of our time who thinke and say the Church hath to much yea and do what they can to profane into their owne wicked hands the holy goods of Gods Church which their forfathers bountifully bestowed vpon her O good Lord Iesus come quickly else thou wilt not haue one foote of ground left at thy second coming to take possession of this earth that is thine owne and all things therein by naturall right of inheritance by merite of redemption and gift of thine eternall Father Beloued do we thus reward the Lords loue foolish people that we are our affections then are worse then we imagine for if we giue all we haue the diuelll offers the whole world and saies All this will I giue thee Do wee fist the diuell eateth nothing Do we watch the diuell sleepeth not If then we excell him not in holy loue he farre exceedeth and excelleth vs both in bountie temperance and watchfulnesse What are we become lame of both legs as was Mephibosheth both in our loue to God in our affections to men Let vs then become Ishbosheths the sonnes of shame for it Let vs be abashed and confounded at this our ingratitude and neglect and let vs henceforth expresse in our actions the true conditions of vnfained and heartie loue Let vs brethren loue God onely and all things for him as did Paule who accompted all things dung that he might gaine the Lord Iesus 2. Let vs accompt our selues vnhappie that we be not where he is as did the said Paule who desired to be dissolued and to be with Christ Iesus 3. Let vs suffer al things for him yea death it selfe that as Paule said to the Elders of Ephesus at Miletum that we may finish our course with ioy 4. Let vs be with him as we may to wit in affection seeing while we liue here we cannot be with him as we would to enioy his blessed presence which is indeed apostolicall counsell Set your affection on heauen and heauenly things saith Saint Paule and not on earth and earthly things Let vs loue all things both persons and places that belong vnto him for our goodnesse extendeth not to him but to his that are on earth and to such as excell in vertue Let vs decke our selues to please him in our wedding garment the robe of the faith of Iesus Let vs seeke his glorie and not endure his dishonor and let vs weepe when he is absent from vs by his grace as did Peter and ioy when he is present with vs in his goodnesse as did Dauid who reioyced when it was said vnto him Let vs go into the house of the Lord. Then shall we there see what an one our Loue is and discerne yea and hee rauished both with our loues essentiall beautie and especiall purity for the true Church is white not seeming so nor painted but natiue and naturall shining white The puritie of this bright beautie consists in the essentialnes ◠and especialnesse thereof white The essentialitie discerneth it from all hypocriticall painted and seeming shewes of goodly lustre which are for nought but to deceiue and the especialnesse distinguisheth it in excellency from all other glories albeit essentiall and true for this beautie is both essentially especiall and especially essentiall aboue all others without all compare Consult with the wise man that you be not deceiued with shewes but in two oracles and he will shew you of a glorying generation and of a painted path from which prosapie or generation a true Christian descends not and in which way the faithfull beleeuers walke not for in neither of these shall you finde Christ Iesus in his perfect beautie There is a generation saith Salomon that is wise in their owne conceipt yet are not clensed from their filthinesse This is painted whitenes or conceited purenes And There is a way that seemeth iust to a man but the issues thereof are the issues of death This is seeming holines and pretended righteousnesse Neither this generation nor this way is essentiall for the one is in conceipt and the other in shew both deceitfull both dangerous yea and vnlesse repentance come in time both damnably erroneous Therein the more fearefull the lesse those that content themselues in the one and proceed◠in the other see and know their sinfull erring but are led on and deluded with a conceiptfull headie and specious glittering of their owne ouerloued and ouerweened Helena Of this conceiptfull pure generation comes the diuell and appeares to the witch at Endor in the habit of holy Samuel onely to deceiue The spies also that were sent to entrap our Sauiour must receiue their descent from this generation and faine themselues iust men and demand questions of puritie and professed holinesse but the intendment was to turne the taile sting like a serpentine surrepent generation Herod is another impe of this cursed brood for he pretends worship to the Sonne of God whom he like a sauage beare intends to worrie Iudas had the impudent and shamelesse face to say Is it I as well as the innocent Apostles And Iulian the apostate wrote a book entituled Ad Christianos which altogether intended to peruert and to vndoe the Christians All this hypocrisie and painted purity is wrought out by the strength of imagination and conceit which S. Paule mannerly termeth flattering of our selues but the Naturalists shew it to be meere melancholy phrensie and madnes vpon which humours the diuell chiefly worketh and into which he doth most cunningly and subtilly insinuate himselfe to insnare the simple The instance of Ananias makes this euident to whom Peter saith Why hath Sathan tempted thine heart that thou should belie the holy Ghost That is See now O Ananias how strangely the diuell hath stirred vp thy fond imaginations and suggested slily into thy false conceit that thou shouldest sell thy land in pretended purity and holy perfection and yet keepe backe part and belie the holy Ghost This vnpure generation and all the tribes thereof haue foure principall characters that as coate-armors demonstrate the pedigree and deceit thereof which are First an inward conceit Secondly a vanting vtterance therof Thirdly an affectation of publike applause and fourthly an admiration of it selfe ioyned with contempt of all others All these foure being the waiting maides of ladie selfe loue By the inward conceit they are sure that their breasts be not transparent like a glasse to be seene through be their inward parts neuer so wretched and therefore they rest contēted to be specious in specie superficie tantùm that is outwardly to the worlds view and to God they haue said inwardly in their hearts Depart from vs we desire not the knowledge of thy waies 2. Then lest that this inward conceit should be too priuate and none take notice of their